Va. Republicans Chart a Return to Dominance

But Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the state's second straight Democratic governor, said the Republican Party's troubles have more to do with its lack of solutions than any ideological failures. "I think one of the challenges on the Republican side is the non-ideologue, problem-solver part has gotten smaller, and there have been internal clashes," he said.

Republicans say that their losses initially left the Virginia GOP without the organizational structure and energy needed to win. They have struggled to raise money, swapped leaders four times in as many years and witnessed battles between moderates and anti-tax social conservatives.

But they hope that is changing. Bolling has spent time holding "idea-raisers" across the state to come up with 100 policy goals, including fully eliminating the car tax, upgrading abortion clinic standards and allowing college students and faculty to carry guns on campus.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), a rising star in the party and a surrogate for McCain on the campaign trail, similarly created the "Solutions Factory" to tout conservative answers, including allowing workers to opt out of Social Security, charging fees on money transfers for illegal immigrants and allowing parents to use vouchers to send their children to any school they want.

Republicans say McCain's "country first" message and his solutions for dealing with what they consider to be the nation's top three issues -- the economy, energy and national security -- are resonating with the base.

McCain was not the first choice for many Republicans, given his views on issues such as stem cell research and campaign finance, but activists have since praised him for reaching out to the party's conservative base and changing his views on some issues, including illegal immigration.

Republicans know they have not had as much energy and enthusiasm as Democrats have in recent years, but they say the atmosphere has improved in the past few months. Many activists say they sense growing excitement and a feeling that the party could be on the brink of a resurgence.

Although they concede that they stand almost no chance of taking back the House or Senate next month, they are now hoping to limit losses to only a few Senate seats and fewer than a dozen House seats nationwide.

"The Republicans really have had a run of bad luck," said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at George Mason University. "But the worst is over."

President Bush is leaving office and conditions in Iraq have improved, and polls show the Democratic-controlled Congress has low approval ratings.

In addition, party leaders hope to capitalize on the momentum from a competitive fight for the White House and widespread enthusiasm for McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose conservative credentials they consider impeccable.

"Republicans have been slapped upside the head," said Wendell Walker, a self-described conservative Republican from Lynchburg. "This is our wake-up call."

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.